Cooper wins Senate seat, Democrats gain state House
Former governor Roy Cooper defeats Michael Whatley as Democrats unseat several Republican incumbents across North Carolina.
By Grace Almasi ·
North Carolina voters elected former Gov. Roy Cooper to the U.S. Senate on Tuesday. Cooper defeated Republican Michael Whatley in the contest to replace retiring Sen. Thom Tillis. This result gives Democrats a new senator in the state while they also secured control of both chambers of Congress.
Statewide legislative outcomes show a shift in power. Democrats appear to have won a majority in the N.C. House of Representatives. This would be the first time they hold that chamber since 2010. In the N.C. Senate, Democrats gained seats, ending the Republican veto-proof majority.
The path to these results included several upsets against long-serving Republicans. In Forsyth County, Democrat Jen Wiles defeated seven-term incumbent Donny Lambeth. Unofficial results confirm Wiles won that race. Other Republican incumbents in the House also lost their seats to Democratic challengers.
The timeline for final confirmation is now set. Results remain unofficial until local officials finalize the counts. County boards of elections are scheduled to certify results on Nov. 13. The North Carolina State Board of Elections will post complete statewide data on its website once that process concludes.
